This is a case control study of patients with incident ischemic stroke admitted to a community hospital which has a racially diverse patient population. The primary aim of this study is to determine whether lipoprotein (a) is a risk factor for ischemic stroke in both African Americans as well as white populations. Secondary aims are to study potential interactions of lipprotein(a) with other risk factors, subtypes of ischemic stroke and distribution of cerebral atherosclerosis. Since the previous report in 1997, I have been able to restart the study in 11/97 with the help of new collaborators, and we are beginning to collect the remaining controls in order to complete the study. Since the last report we have enrolled 8 controls and hope to finish enrollment by the end of the summer of 1998.